M. de Mul
BASF,
United States
Keywords: personal care, coatings
Summary:
One of the most common and least understood coating processes is the application of personal care products on skin and hair. A multitude of physical processes takes place as a product is applied by the consumer, spread and rubbed, dries, and is absorbed. The microstructure of the product film remaining after application is vital to product function, yet it is generally not a consideration for product formulators, who tend to focus on consumer perception of the film and on bulk properties such as optical effects. However, product efficacy as well as consumer perception are related to the properties of the remaining film. By controlling film structure it is possible to steer the consumer's sensory experience. The personal care ingredients market has seen substantial innovation in recent years, with new emulsifying systems and skin and hair care polymers entering the marketplace. We will show that cosmetic products can be designed with the new materials to form engineered films that have measurable and consumer-preferred effects on skin. Quantifying these effects may require development of new in vitro and in vivo techniques that are validated by consumers.